Unbreakable
by invalid-reality
Summary: There came a time in every Slayer's life where they stood on the edge of death. Mocking it, teasing it, pulling back from it as if it were nothing but a game...F/F Buffy/Faith


A/N: Unbeta'd so there may or may not be any typos...This is why having McDonalds for lunch on a hot day and then walking home is very, very good for my muse. Do enjoy and would love to hear what you all think of it :) (Also, the big bad in this fic, I've borrowed/reused from another fic I've been working on recently)

* * *

There came a time in every Slayer's life where they stood on the edge of death. Mocking it, teasing it, pulling back from it as if it were nothing but a game.

It was Buffy's time, yet again, and there she stood, a knife being held at her throat by her lover as she succumbed to the powers of the big bad they'd been trying to take out. Vivienne was a powerful vampire, unlike most that roamed about at night, and Buffy had walked into the fight thinking she'd take her out and walk away without much more than a scratch. No such luck.

"Faith, please don't do this," she whispered as she tried not to shake in fear as Faith's hand gripped onto her shoulder and held the knife a little more firmly against her throat. "Baby please, don't do this. You are stronger than this. You are stronger than she is. Don't let her control you like this."

"Shut up," Faith hissed as she shifted slightly behind Buffy and let out a low chuckle. "I may be strong, B, but you aren't. Not anymore. You can't even fight back. You _don't_ even want to fight back. That makes you weak. Pathetic."

Tears sprang to Buffy's eyes as she watched the dark-haired vampire pace the floor in front of the fireplace barely ten feet in front of them. She tried not to show her fear, but it was hard with Faith under the spell of Vivienne, doing her bidding as if she was nothing more than a puppet, waiting for her strings to be pulled. Buffy turned her head a little, looking at Faith out of the corner of her eye and feeling that gut-wrenching heartbreak in the pit of her stomach when she saw how dark Faith's eyes were. Dark with rage, dark with hate, dark with evil that had found its way inside of her body in the instant that Vivienne had kissed her.

A kiss of death is what it was. Buffy knew as soon as Faith had killed her that Vivienne would kill her too.

She shuddered as Faith leaned in and planted her lips in a soft kiss at the nape of her neck. Her hold on the knife fell a little slack as she ran her tongue from the nape of her neck and up to her ear, moaning salaciously as her hand gripping her shoulder moved around to cup her breast. Buffy couldn't stop the moan that slipped out and she felt Faith chuckle softly against her skin as such sucked lightly on her pulse point. She leaned back into Faith, wondering if she could somehow break the spell, the trance she was under by showing her what she knew she had to remember, even now.

"Starting to think you're getting off on this, B," Faith whispered huskily into her ear, soft warm breath flowing freely over her skin. "How wet are you right now, B? I bet you are fucking soaked."

"I-"

"Tut tut, girls. Now is not the time for sexy games," Vivienne laughed as she spun around to look over at them. "Faith, bring our girl to the other room and tie her to the chair. You and I are going out to get ourselves a little treat."

"I thought we were gonna kill her, Viv?" Faith whined, disappointment so heavy in her voice it made those tears Buffy had so desperately trying to hold back begin to fall. "At least let me smack her around a little."

Vivienne laughed as she strolled up to them and casually trailed a long fingernail, painted blood red, down the side of Buffy's face. "Are those tears, Slayer? What the hell are you crying for? Over your life you know will end soon? Over the fact that your _lover_ will be the one to end your pathetic life?"

Buffy bit her lip, holding back the rest of her tears as Vivienne laughed again. She allowed herself to be dragged into the other room and let out a choked sob as Faith tied her down to the chair and shackled her hands behind her. Her words were useless, she knew this after being trapped here and held prisoner for days on an end now. Faith was so far gone now that there was absolutely no way to get through to her. Even through the tears in her eyes, she watched as Faith walked over to the long mirror that hung on the wall and applied a shade of dark red lipstick meticulously.

"How's that look?" Faith asked as she turned around and smiled sexily as she smoothed her hands over her body. "Sexy, ain't it? Bet you wish you could have one last piece before I kill you, huh?"

"Fuck you," Buffy managed to get out, her voice hoarse and strangled with fear, with anger.

"Maybe," Faith winked as she approached her slowly. "Gonna have to ask Viv if we can have one last roll in the sack before, uh oh, time is up for you and I gut you like a pathetic fish."

She hated seeing Faith like this after the last year they'd been together. She hated seeing this former part of herself, the darkness invading her life and her very soul. It wasn't her doing this time and it was the only thing that kept Buffy from fighting back. If she did fight back, she might end up killing Faith. She couldn't kill the woman she loved, could she?

She was left alone in the dark, nearly empty room. Hours passed by and the steady _tick-tick_ from the grandfather clock in the other room was driving her insane. She was weak, drained from lack of proper sleep and hydration, but something inside of her kept her going, kept her eyes open. The only thing she didn't fear was death. She almost welcomed it after days of torture, days she'd become nothing but a bloody, cut up and bruised mess and all at the hands of Faith.

She'd been so careless walking into this fight with Vivienne, her only purpose and motivation at the time was to save Faith, to bring her back and have Willow get rid of whatever spell Vivienne had cast upon her to make her be like this. She'd cried far too many tears in the last couple of days and despite feeling them welling up in her eyes yet again, they just wouldn't fall now. She struggled against the rope and shackles that had her tightly bound to the chair. The rope dug into her raw, bloody skin and the shackles cut deep into her wrists with every slight movement she made.

Buffy sucked in a breath when she heard heavy footsteps approaching the door and she craned her neck around as she watched Faith walk in the room with the knife she'd had before. The smile on her face made her feel sick. It was a smile of murderous vile and it was one she hadn't seen in years, not since Sunnydale when Faith had been working for the mayor.

"I've got some good news and some bad news for you, B. What do you want first?" Faith asked as she moved to straddle her legs, her lips a hairsbreadth away from Buffy's. "Actually," she laughed as she brought a hand to cup Buffy's swollen cheek. "There's only bad news. Your friends? Your family? Dead. Ain't that a kick in the pants?"

"You killed them?"

"Of course I did, what did you take me as? Some soft-hearted bitch who gives a damn?"

"Faith-"

"Don't 'Faith' me, B. I ain't who you thought I was, who you hoped I'd be. Vivienne showed me that who I turned into isn't who I should be. Thank the fuck for that, huh? At least now I get to put all of you out of your misery and guess what, B? I saved you for last."

"I loved you. I _still_ love you."

"Newsflash, Blondie, you loved who _you_ made me be. Love isn't real. Not to me. You never loved me. You loved the idea of who you thought you could turn me into. Guess you're gonna leave your pathetic life with one last disappointment."

Faith brought the knife up to her chin, smirking as the tiniest bit of moonlight streaming in through the dirty window glimmered off the shiny blade.

There would be no epic fight, no stories that would pass down from generation to generation at how Buffy Summers had died at the hands of her lover. There would only be sadness, a broken heart with hopes that in the next life they could do it all over and do it right, without a world of monsters there to fight against, to fight the good fight and protect the world again and again.

Faith kissed her as she plunged the knife deep inside her chest. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she managed, with her last breath, to kiss the woman she loved goodbye.

And with that, Buffy Summers was dead.

* * *

(Four Months Ago)

Sunlight streamed in through the window, waking Buffy from a deep, peaceful slumber. Faith stirred beside her as she tried to roll over and she felt the strong arm hold her close, stopping her from moving even an inch away. Faith mumbled something into the pillow and Buffy could only smile as she relaxed and stretched out slowly. Every inch of her body was deliciously sore, as it always was after a night of slaying and fucking, in that order of course.

For the last eight months since they'd gotten together, it'd been like this nearly every single night. They'd become practically attached at the hip since the day they 'accidently' fell into bed together after the night of Willow and Kennedy's engagement party and too many drinks later. She couldn't even remember a single day that had gone by since that they didn't spend most of the day and night together. She wasn't complaining, oh no, she was far from complaining. She'd fallen in love with Faith so easily that she wondered why this never happened before.

"Too early, B," Faith murmured against the pillow. "Go back to sleep."

"It's not too early, Faith. For one thing, it's after one in the afternoon. We have girls to train in less than an hour."

"Fuck," she groaned as she lifted her head from the pillow and looked over at Buffy. "Remind me how I got roped into training the girls with you?"

Buffy pouted and leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her lips, pulling back when Faith tried to deepen it. "We don't have time for this," she said softly as she moved out from Faith's tight grip. "We both need to shower and eat before we meet up with the girls down in the training room."

"Oh yeah, now I remember how," Faith chuckled as she sat up in bed, the thin white sheet falling from her body as she watched Buffy walk across the room. "If I remember correctly, you begged me to help you out, claiming how it was too much pressure for you to do it on your own and how you absolutely fucking refused to work with Kennedy."

"All true facts," Buffy smiled as she grabbed her robe from the back of the chair at her desk and slipped it on. "Faith, get your lazy ass out of bed."

Faith just laughed as she laid back and stretched out, her beautiful naked body on full display under Buffy's roaming and hungry eyes. Buffy stood by the bathroom door, one hand on the handle and the other holding her robe shut as she watch Faith lazily run a hand over her stomach and up to cup her left breast. Buffy licked over her lips as she watched Faith roll a hardening nipple between her fingers, her legs falling open slightly as she moved her other hand down tantalizingly slow across her stomach. She was unabashedly putting herself on full display, knowing how Buffy could never resist watching her please herself for very long without taking over herself.

Her legs fell open wider as she slowly stroked her fingers over her already wet, glistening pussy. Buffy's breath hitched in her throat as she gripped the hand tightly and found herself fighting the urges to go back to bed, to make love to Faith all afternoon instead of doing what she knew they had to do. She watched as Faith bit her lip, circling her clit a few times before sliding her middle finger deep inside of her. As soon as those soft, breathy moans began to escape past her lips, Buffy was practically running back to bed and shedding her robe to the floor, her mouth watering, her body aching to touch and be touched.

"Knew you couldn't resist," Faith breathed out huskily as Buffy moved to hover over her, placing a hand over Faith's currently, and slowly, fucking her pussy. "Never can."

Buffy kissed her, hard and deep as she eased a finger inside of Faith's hot, wet hole. It was tight with Faith's own finger still inside and it made her moan loudly as she thrust her hips upwards and gripped onto the back of Buffy's head with her free hand. Buffy could feel herself growing increasingly wet as she ground her pussy against Faith's firm, muscular thigh. They both broke away from the kiss, panting as they stared into each other's eyes, each so close on the edge of pure bliss that it never failed to amaze either of them how quick they could get each other off.

Buffy felt shockwaves ripple through her body as Faith leaned in and kissed her softly, one of the softest kisses she'd ever received from her in the eight months they'd been together. She came with a soft whimper, all from that kiss and when she pulled back, Faith had the most satisfied smile curled over her lips. She eased both hers and Buffy's hands away from her pussy and grabbed onto her hips, repositioning her until she lie between her legs, their pussies in the most intimate touch they could have between one another.

"Faith, we need to-"

"Fuck, B. Just a little longer," she whispered harshly against her lips before kissing her deeply with raw passion that sent Buffy's entire body into pure bliss from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. "Fuck..."

They kissed lazily, breathing heavily as their bodies moved together, creating that delicious friction that always made Buffy crave her more. Faith raked her short nails down Buffy's back, coming to a stop when she reached her hips and held her there, holding them together in a brief moment of time where only they existed and nothing else mattered. In the eight months they'd been together, it had always been like this, raw passion, love dared Buffy think even though she and Faith had never once said the words to one another. They didn't need to. They just _felt_ it. The truth was, they were both afraid to say it, afraid it'd make it far too real even though they-and everyone else-knew it was.

Buffy trailed her lips over Faith's jaw, subtly moving her hips and grinding her pussy against Faith's as she snuck her tongue out for a taste before her lips found their way back to Faith's once again. They didn't have time to completely worship and devour each other, and Buffy wanted nothing more than to do just that. In the back of her mind, for the briefest of moments, she wondered what kind of excuse she could come up with for blowing off training with the younger girls.

"You think too much, B."

"I'm not thinking," she laughed as she lightly kissed Faith before letting out a quiet moan as Faith's fingers gripped onto her ass and forced her to grind into her pussy harder. "Oh god, Faith..."

"Feel good, babe?"

"Mm-hmm...yeah..."

Buffy threw her head back as Faith kissed along her jaw and neck, biting down on her pulse point gently before licking the tender skin around it. The many love bites from the night before were surely gone by now, just as they always were in a few hours time, but it never stopped Faith from wanting to mark her, claim her as her own. Faith rolled them over, grinning sexily as she stared down into Buffy's eyes for a moment. In that brief moment, Buffy could have sworn Faith was about to say the words she'd been longing to hear, but nothing came. Only a soft growl was heard as their lips met in yet another passionate kiss.

Her senses were on overload as Faith licked and kissed her way down her body, nipping at her skin with every moan that slipped past her lips. She closed her eyes tightly, seeing tiny stars as Faith ran the tip of her tongue down the length of her slit, teasing her before she moved her lips to suck on her throbbing, aching clit. She grabbed uselessly at the sheets, balling them up tightly in her fists as she arched her back up from the bed as Faith slid her tongue deep inside her grasping hole. She could barely breathe as Faith lifted her ass up from the bed just a little and plunged her tongue furiously in and out of her, bringing a rather monster orgasm flooding through her body almost unexpectedly. She grabbed the pillow, biting it to muffle her cries of pleasure, her body tense and trembling as Faith laid a series of small, light kisses along her tender pussy before crawling back up and lying next to her.

"Glad you decided to not go shower just yet?" Faith asked, looking every bit as smug as she deserved to be. "I'm gonna take that as a yes."

Buffy laughed as she pulled her in for a kiss, moaning softly as she tasted herself on Faith's lips. She broke away from the kiss suddenly and glanced over at the clock, laughing again as she buried her face into Faith's neck. "We are really late."

"You're in charge here, B. Ain't like anyone is gonna give you shit just cos you wanted to spend a few more hours in bed. With me," she grinned as Buffy lifted her head to look up at her. "And you know that everyone knows you'd rather spend your time with me than training those ungrateful little shits."

"Faith, they aren't-"

"Yeah they are, B. The sooner you admit it, the easier it'll be to ditch 'em."

"Why do you always have to ruin my post orgasm buzz?" Buffy asked, pouting as she tried to keep a straight face. Faith poked her in the side as they curled up and held onto one another.

"Better?" Faith asked, pressing her lips against Buffy's forehead and smiling when Buffy just let out a soft sigh.

"Much better," Buffy smiled, feeling the pull of sleep despite the fact she'd just slept for a good nine hours.

A sharp knock on the door broke them out of their little world they'd fallen into and Faith groaned loudly as Buffy scrambled to get off the bed and into her robe before whoever was on the other side of the door took it upon themselves to walk in. Their moment was shattered and as soon as Faith had herself covered with the thin white sheets, Buffy opened the door.

"Something wrong, Will?" Buffy asked when she saw Willow standing on the other side of the door, a very serious and concerned look on her face with a hint of worry. "Did something happen?"

"Emergency meeting has been called. Giles is on his way. Everything will be explained as soon as he gets here."

"What's going on?" Faith called out from the bed. "Got another big bad on our hands or something?"

"Something like that," Willow nodded. "Oh and Buffy? A few of the girls came to me when you and Faith didn't show up for training. I guess you two got a little...preoccupied again?"

Willow winked as she walked away, leaving them alone once again. Buffy nearly slammed the door and headed straight for the bathroom, shrugging off her robe as soon as she opened the bathroom door. Faith joined her and they showered quickly, sharing only a few brief kisses before they got out and got dressed in silence. Barely half an hour after Willow had knocked on Buffy's bedroom door, they were sitting in the common room with the others, waiting for Giles' arrival and for the meeting to start.

Faith and Buffy were sitting on a couch to themselves, almost becoming lost in their own world as the voices of the others drifted out. Faith had her hand on Buffy's lower back, idly tracing small patterns at the small of her back where her shirt had ridden up slightly. It'd been like this since the night they first got together. They couldn't be near each other without having to be always touching. Their connection was more physical than anything else and their spiritual connection, their Slayer connection, could be felt even stronger through the most simple of touches. For the most part, since they'd told the others only three months ago that they were together, they could keep the PDA to a minimum. But after a night that they just had and what had just transpired over half an hour before, it was hard for either of them to resist the urge to lean in and steal a kiss or two.

"Oh good, everyone is here," Giles said breathlessly as he came into the room mere minutes later. "I'm afraid we cannot waste much time. You all are aware of Vivienne, correct?"

"That bitch that kidnapped some of the girls few months back?" Faith asked and Giles nodded. "Thought Satsu staked her?"

"It is what we all believed had happened, but," Giles sighed as he sat down heavily in one of the red leather armchairs. "It appears that Satsu has gone rogue in recent months, if not longer than that."

"Something you can relate to, huh, Faith?" Kennedy asked, grinning slightly as Faith just shot her a look. If only looks could kill. "I'm just saying! If anyone would know what Satsu is going through, it'd be Faith, right?"

"Satsu is not our main concern at the moment," Giles said calmly as he looked around the room at the others before his eyes fell upon Buffy and then Faith. "There are a few known whereabouts where we'll be able to find Vivienne and I'm afraid you two are the only ones capable of finding her and ending her before she goes out on a rampage like she did the last time."

"And then we deal with Satsu, right?" Buffy asked and Giles nodded his head slowly. "We aren't going to...kill her, are we?"

"No, we will not succumb to such drastic measures. Once you've dealt with Vivienne, we will deal with Satsu in a human yet brash manner. Rehabilitation is needed and I know just the place to send her where she can receive the help she needs."

The room fell into separate conversations, most of which centered around the big bad they thought was dead and gone months ago. A feeling of dread overcame Buffy and she excused herself, slipping out of the common room and down the long corridor that led to the kitchen. Faith was right there behind her and when Buffy stopped and turned to her, she couldn't help but let a few tears fall.

"What you crying for, B? We'll deal with that bitch. It'll be okay."

"I just-I thought it was over," she sobbed as Faith wrapped her arms around her and held her close. "The games she played with all of us the last time, the way she pulled us apart before we figured out what she was doing. It still hurts, Faith."

"I know, B. Told you, we're gonna deal with this bitch. Believe me when I tell you that she ain't gonna pull the same shit as last time."

Buffy wanted to, with all her heart and soul, to believe her, but she couldn't. She knew what Vivienne was capable of and she wasn't so sure they'd all survive a second round with her. Time would tell, just like everything else, how this would end up. That feeling of dread, of failure, of death, was too much for her to ignore this time. Unfortunately.

* * *

(Two Weeks Ago)

"I can't believe she's gone!" Buffy cried as Willow tried to comfort her. It'd been three days since Faith had taken off, fully determined to take out Vivienne alone. "I can't believe she'd do something so _stupid_!"

Word had come to the castle just short hours ago that Faith had been placed under Vivienne's spell and was under her full control, lost to herself, to Buffy, and to the rest of the world. For the last three and a half months they'd been trying to track Vivienne down and trying to come up with a plan that would result in well, something like _this_ happening. Faith, being as stubborn as she was, had taken it upon herself to end this, to put an end to Vivienne once and for all.

"Buffy, we'll get her back. We'll reverse this spell and she'll be Faith again. I promise," Willow whispered as she held Buffy close, stroking her hair and trying to console her as much as she possibly could. "Do you want me to get some tea? It'll help you sleep."

"I don't need any fucking tea!" Buffy snapped as she moved away from Willow quickly. "I don't need to fucking sleep! What I need is to get Faith back right now!"

"Buffy-"

"No, Will, you don't understand! I need her back-I can't-it feels like I can't breathe without her here and I-"

Buffy broke down, falling to the floor and curling up into a ball, sobbing so violently her whole body was shaking with every breath she managed to take. Willow gave her a moment before she pulled her up from the fetal position she was in and held her again. Buffy managed to stop crying long enough to look up at Xander as he walked into the room carrying a tray with three cups of tea.

"How's she holding up?" Xander asked quietly as he placed the tray on the floor as he sat down across from them. Willow just frowned and continued to hold onto Buffy, rocking gently in hopes she'd calm down. "Hey Buffster, anything I can do for you right now that'll make you feel better?"

"No."

"Nothing? I know I can't-"

"Xander, don't," Willow warned as she managed to kick him with her foot, just barely. "Hey Buff? Why don't you just drink some tea and get some sleep and we'll figure out a way to get Faith back home, okay?"

She shook her head no and pushed herself away from Willow's arms, knocking over the tray of tea as she stumbled getting up from the floor. She laughed at herself, feeling so utterly pathetic for breaking down like this. Nobody had ever made her feel this way; nobody had ever made her feel so deeply, so raw, so passionate. Not having Faith there for three days and finding out she was now under Vivienne's complete control made her feel as if Faith was dead. She might as well be. They all knew what Vivienne was capable of and the end results definitely weren't pretty.

They were downright devastating of apocalypse proportions.

Buffy looked down at her friends, her two best friends who had been there through almost every important moment in her life. Her lower lip was trembling as she held out her arms and waited for them to get to their feet before she hugged them close. But her exhaustion that had taken over since Faith walked out without a second thought three days ago, was taking over her and she could barely hold herself up for much longer. After a few more tears were shed, a few promises made by Willow and Xander she knew they couldn't keep, she nearly dragged herself over to her bed and laid down, sleep taking over her as soon as her head hit the pillow and she closed her eyes.

Hours went past with nothing more than silence and darkness, before the faintest flickers of a dream began to appear in her distraught state of mind. She saw flickers of images, she saw Faith and Vivienne, killing, maiming, and torturing poor innocent souls who had unfortunately crossed their path. She woke up with a jolt, her stomach twisting in knots as she fought off wave after wave of nausea. But it hit her as she ran for the bathroom. She knew how she'd get Faith back.

And she didn't care if she died trying. She was in love with Faith and a woman in love was more dangerous than anything else in the world.

* * *

(Three Days Ago)

She groaned as the blood trickled down from the nasty cut just above her eyes, blinking through tears as she struggled against the bounds that held her to the heavy chair. Faith was gone. She was just a ghost of herself now, the darkness having sucked her in far too deep for her to see the light she'd once had. Walking into the castle Vivienne was calling home had been an easy feat, facing Faith and being knocked out immediately however, was devastating. And it hurt.

"What's the matter, B?" Faith asked, her tone soft and soothing, but her eyes gleaming with pure pleasure from Buffy's pain. "Too rough for you? Not enough for you? Care to participate in something a little more...kinky?"

Faith walked over to the table a couple feet away and picked up a long knife. Buffy shuddered, a feeling of déjà vu hitting her like a wave of sudden nausea. She gulped, holding back tears, holding back the fear as she watched Faith stroll over her to, admiring the knife in her hand like it was a shiny new toy. And to Faith, with all the evil and the darkness inside of her, flowing through her veins, it was a shiny new toy. One she'd be using on Buffy in mere minutes.

"You know what?" Faith asked as she leaned forward and with her thumb, she wiped away the blood trickling down her forehead gently. "I don't think you're ready for that. We'll save that for later, how about that, B?"

"Why are you doing this, Faith?" Buffy asked, her voice raw with emotion, her body shaking in fear as Faith laughed sadistically. "Baby, I love you. Why are you doing this to me?"

"Why? 'Cause I _can_, babe," she grinned and she turned and threw the knife towards the wall, grinning in triumph as it stuck between the cracks in the stone. "I know what you're thinking."

"What am I thinking?"

"Thinking about how you can't believe what I'm doing to you right now, am I right? Getting warm? Hot? And damn, B, am I the only one feeling a total sense of déjà vu here?"

"Stop," Buffy whispered under her breath, closing her eyes and wincing in pain as Faith punched her hard in the side of the head. "Please stop."

"Begging? The Slayer begs?" Vivienne asked, mildly amused as she walked into the room. "Ain't that just a kick in the pants? Faith, are you quite done here? It's time to go out for a little treat, have a little fun."

"Ain't done here, Viv. Barely even gotten started. You really gonna take my fun away from me so soon?"

"She looks a little bloody...tasty," she purred as she walked up to Buffy and gripped onto her hair, forcing her head back rather painfully. "Blondes do nothing for me," she says slowly as she licked the blood still trickling from the cut in Buffy's forehead slowly. "I'll drain you when Faithy here finally has had her fill. Oh, you wouldn't believe the things she wants to do to you, Slayer. I bet that really _hurts_ knowing your former lover wants nothing more than to kill you with her bare hands, doesn't it?"

Buffy winced as Vivienne roughly let go of her head. She had next to no strength, having been emotionally drained from seeing Faith as she was now. Her head rolled back and she winced as Faith grabbed onto her thigh with full strength and felt the bones nearly break. The only thing keeping her from giving up was telling herself that the Faith she saw right now wasn't the Faith she knew, wasn't _her_ Faith.

"I'll give you another hour, Faithy," Vivienne said as she takes a few steps back from Buffy and pulls Faith in for a kiss, a kiss Buffy knows only makes the spell she's cast over her stronger. "One hour."

"Gives me enough time to do as I want," Faith laughs as she moves to straddle Buffy's legs and casually places each hand on her shoulders. "So, B. What do you want to do?"

"Let me go," she whispered, her lips trembling as Faith rolled her eyes and gripped her shoulders tightly. "Don't let her do this to you, Faith."

"She ain't doing a damn thing to me, B! Don't you get it? This is who I am. If it weren't for her, I'd still be stuck 'fighting the good fight' with you and those pathetic friends of yours and those hundreds of girls who don't know what the hell it means to be a Slayer!"

Buffy held back the tears as best she could, allowing just one to slip out and roll down her cheek. She closed her eyes as Faith grabbed a smaller knife from the sheath under her pants just above her boots and brought the tip of the blade to her lips. She held her breath, daring not to open her eyes and look into Faith's, as black as they were, and she tried not to focus on the cool blade as Faith trailed it slowly from her lips, across her neck and down over her breasts barely covered by her tattered t-shirt. She whimpered softly as Faith pressed the knife a little harder, cutting her from her collar bone to the first soft curves of her small, yet ample breasts.

_Go somewhere else_, she thought as the pain became numbing. _Go back to those days you want to remember, not today. Never remember today or the days that follow._

"What would you do if I gutted you right now, B?" Faith asked, her voice full of wild amusement as Buffy quickly opened her eyes. "You'd scream for me, wouldn't you? Would you still love me if I gutted you like you gutted me years ago, B?"

"No..."

"You wouldn't scream?" Faith asked, her head cocked to one side as she raised an eyebrow at her. "Seriously? You think you are that strong? Newsflash, Blondie, you are _weak_. Love has made you weak. You see," she sighs as she gets up and begins to pace the floor in front of her, shaking her head and muttering to herself. "This is why I've never fallen in love. I've seen how weak it makes people. How vulnerable and trusting it makes them when bam," she breathes out heavily as she leaned down in front of Buffy, her lips inches away. "Someone goes and stabs a fucking knife right in your goddamn gut for a guy-a _vampire_-that is worthless. Pathetic. Just like you."

Buffy can't stop shaking as Faith brings the knife to her chest, trailing it over her heart and down to her stomach, almost right in the same spot she'd put a knife through Faith years ago. Faith cut her shallowly, watching Buffy intently as if she was waiting for her to scream, for her to cry out in pain, in anguish, but I never came. Only a few tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to stay strong.

"Would you look at that," Faith scoffed. "Painless, is it, B?"

"No..."

"No screams? No begging me to stop? No trying to tell me you love me when you damn well know it's too late for that?"

"Fuck you."

Faith laughed incredulously as she wiped the blade free of Buffy's blood on her jean-clad thigh. "You are something else, B. Never thought you had it in you to hold up this long. I wonder how long you'll manage to hold on before you give up. Will you give up or will I have to kill you first?"

"You'll have to kill me first, Faith."

* * *

For days this went on and Buffy held on. She held on because she had hope she could get through to Faith, hope that she could break free and drag Faith out of there and bring her home, get her back to normal. She held on because she wasn't weak, she wasn't pathetic. Her love for Faith kept her strong and no matter how many times she told her she loved her, Faith never believed her. She wouldn't and couldn't, not while she was like this and completely under Vivienne's spell.

Her body was bruised, battered. Her muscles ached, the few broken bones she had that had healed in days, hurt from being bound to the chair almost the entire time. She blocked out those moments when she was untied and she was forced to the small mattress on the floor two rooms down. It was a far cry from the lovemaking they'd spent nearly a year experiencing together and the only reason she blocked it from her mind because she knew it wasn't Faith doing this to her, it was Vivienne.

The things Faith had done to her cut her deeper than any knife she used on her. It cut through her heart, tearing her apart, piece by piece. This was a test of strength, of will, of tolerance, and of love. She'd hold on right until the end, until she couldn't fight it any longer and proved that yes, she was weak, that she was pathetic and everything else Faith had spat in her face in the last couple of days. But she still loved her as much as she did before all of this happened, if not more. Maybe being bound and tortured by the woman she loved had made her crazy. Whatever it was, she wasn't letting go, not until she took her last breath.

It wasn't until she found out her friends-her family-were dead and that Faith was the one who had killed them, that her heart completely shattered and any hope she had left in her drifted away. One last declaration of love was all she had left in her. Once last moment she had hope that maybe Faith could break through the darkness on her own, that the love Buffy had for her would help her find the light again.

It didn't work. It'd _never_ work. The spell was far too powerful for even love to break.

* * *

Faith kissed her as she plunged the knife deep inside her chest. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she managed, with her last breath, to kiss the woman she loved goodbye.

And with that, Buffy Summers was dead.

.

The End


End file.
